Rights groups fear EU policy shift on Eritrea

Eritrean migrants abducted and tortured in Egypt while trying to flee their country

Academics and rights activists fear a rapprochement between the European Union and Eritrea, warning that EU policy-makers are making light of the Horn of Africa country’s dismal rights record in their bid to reduce the number of Eritreans who are ready to risk their lives at sea on their way to Europe.

Europe is changing its tune on Eritrea because it wants to roll back the numbers of Eritrean migrants who board unseaworthy vessels to cross the Mediterranean Sea, scholars and activists fear.

The European Union is considering boosting its aid to Eritrea to fund infrastructure projects and help job creation with the hope that employed youths will cease to embark on the treacherous trek across the Sahara Desert – typically via Sudan, Egypt and Libya – before embarking on Italian-bound boats.

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